| 1. |
- Algeri, Sara, et al.
(författare)
-
A method for comparing non-nested models with application to astrophysical searches for new physics
- 2016
-
Ingår i: Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0035-8711 .- 1365-2966 .- 1745-3925 .- 1745-3933. ; 458:1, s. L84-L88
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Searches for unknown physics and decisions between competing astrophysical models to explain data both rely on statistical hypothesis testing. The usual approach in searches for new physical phenomena is based on the statistical likelihood ratio test and its asymptotic properties. In the common situation, when neither of the two models under comparison is a special case of the other i.e. when the hypotheses are non-nested, this test is not applicable. In astrophysics, this problem occurs when two models that reside in different parameter spaces are to be compared. An important example is the recently reported excess emission in astrophysical gamma-rays and the question whether its origin is known astrophysics or dark matter. We develop and study a new, simple, generally applicable, frequentist method and validate its statistical properties using a suite of simulations studies. We exemplify it on realistic simulated data of the Fermi-Large Area Telescope gamma-ray satellite, where non-nested hypotheses testing appears in the search for particle dark matter.
|
|
| 2. |
- Amarsi, A. M., et al.
(författare)
-
The Galactic chemical evolution of oxygen inferred from 3D non-LTE spectral-line-formation calculations
- 2015
-
Ingår i: Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0035-8711 .- 1365-2966 .- 1745-3933 .- 1745-3925. ; 454:1, s. L11-L15
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We revisit the Galactic chemical evolution of oxygen, addressing the systematic errors inherent in classical determinations of the oxygen abundance that arise from the use of one-dimensional (1D) hydrostatic model atmospheres and from the assumption of local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE). We perform detailed 3D non-LTE radiative-transfer calculations for atomic oxygen lines across a grid of 3D hydrodynamic STAGGER model atmospheres for dwarfs and subgiants. We apply our grid of predicted line strengths of the [O I] 630 nm and O I 777 nm lines using accurate stellar parameters from the literature. We infer a steep decay in [O/Fe] for [Fe/H] greater than or similar to -1.0, a plateau [O/Fe] approximate to 0.5 down to [Fe/H] approximate to -2.5, and an increasing trend for [Fe/H] less than or similar to -2.5. Our 3D non-LTE calculations yield overall concordant results from the two oxygen abundance diagnostics.
|
|
| 3. |
- Chauvin, Maxime, et al.
(författare)
-
Observation of polarized hard X-ray emission from the Crab by the PoGOLite Pathfinder
- 2016
-
Ingår i: Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. - : Oxford University Press. - 0035-8711 .- 1365-2966 .- 1745-3925 .- 1745-3933. ; 456:1, s. L84-L88
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We have measured the linear polarization of hard X-ray emission from the Crab in a previously unexplored energy interval, 20-120 keV. The introduction of two new observational parameters, the polarization fraction and angle stands to disentangle geometrical and physical effects, thereby providing information on the pulsar wind geometry and magnetic field environment. Measurements are conducted using the PoGOLite Pathfinder - a balloon-borne polarimeter. Polarization is determined by measuring the azimuthal Compton scattering angle of incident X-rays in an array of plastic scintillators housed in an anticoincidence well. The polarimetric response has been characterized prior to flight using both polarized and unpolarized calibration sources. We address possible systematic effects through observations of a background field. The measured polarization fraction for the integrated Crab light curve is 18.4(-10.6)(+9.8) per cent, corresponding to an upper limit (99 per cent credibility) of 42.4 per cent, for a polarization angle of (149.2 +/- 16.0)degrees.
|
|
| 4. |
- Chauvin, Maxime, et al.
(författare)
-
PoGO + polarimetric constraint on the synchrotron jet emission of Cygnus X-1
- 2019
-
Ingår i: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters. - : Oxford University Press. - 1745-3925 .- 1745-3933 .- 0035-8711 .- 1365-2966. ; 483:1, s. L138-L143
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We report a polarimetric constraint on the hard X-ray synchrotron jet emission from the Cygnus X-1 black hole binary system. The observational data were obtained using the PoGO+ hard X-ray polarimeter in 2016 July, when Cygnus X-1 was in the hard state. We have previously reported that emission from an extended corona with a low polarization fraction is dominating, and that the polarization angle is perpendicular to the disc surface. In the soft gamma-ray regime, a highly polarized synchrotron jet is reported with INTEGRAL observations. To constrain the polarization fraction and flux of such a jet component in the hard X-ray regime, we now extend analyses through vector calculations in the Stokes QU plane, where the dominant corona emission and the jet component are considered simultaneously. The presence of another emission component with different polarization angle could partly cancel out the net polarization. The 90 per cent upper limit of the polarization fraction for the additional synchrotron jet component is estimated as <10 per cent, <5 per cent, and <5 per cent for polarization angle perpendicular to the disc surface, parallel to the surface, and aligned with the emission reported by INTEGRAL data, respectively. From the 20-180 keV total flux of 2.6 × 10 -8 erg s -1 cm -2, the upper limit of the polarized flux is estimated as < 3 × 10 -9 erg s -1 cm -2.
|
|
| 5. |
- Chauvin, Maxime, et al.
(författare)
-
The PoGO plus view on Crab off-pulse hard X-ray polarization
- 2018
-
Ingår i: Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. - : Oxford University Press. - 0035-8711 .- 1365-2966 .- 1745-3925 .- 1745-3933. ; 477:1, s. L45-L49
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The linear polarization fraction (PF) and angle of the hard X-ray emission from the Crab provide unique insight into high-energy radiation mechanisms, complementing the usual imaging, timing, and spectroscopic approaches. Results have recently been presented by two missions operating in partially overlapping energy bands, PoGO+ (18-160 keV) and AstroSat CZTI (100-380 keV). We previously reported PoGO+ results on the polarization parameters integrated across the light curve and for the entire nebula-dominated off-pulse region. We now introduce finer phase binning, in light of the AstroSat CZTI claim that the PF varies across the off-pulse region. Since both missions are operating in a regime where errors on the reconstructed polarization parameters are non-Gaussian, we adopt a Bayesian approach to compare results from each mission. We find no statistically significant variation in off-pulse polarization parameters, neither when considering the mission data separately nor when they are combined. This supports expectations from standard high-energy emission models.
|
|
| 6. |
- Desmond, Harry, et al.
(författare)
-
The fifth force in the local cosmic web
- 2019
-
Ingår i: Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0035-8711 .- 1365-2966 .- 1745-3925 .- 1745-3933. ; 483:1, s. l64-L68
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Extensions of the standard models of particle physics and cosmology often lead to long-range fifth forces with properties dependent on gravitational environment. Fifth forces on astrophysical scales are best studied in the cosmic web where perturbation theory breaks down. We present constraints on chameleon-and symmetron-screened fifth forces with Yukawa coupling and megaparsec range - as well as unscreened fifth forces with differential coupling to galactic mass components - by searching for the displacements they predict between galaxies' stars and gas. Taking data from the Alfalfa HI survey, identifying galaxies' gravitational environments with the maps of Desmond et al. and forward modelling with a Bayesian likelihood framework, we set upper bounds on fifth-force strength relative to Newtonian gravity from similar to few x 10(-4) (1 sigma) for range lambda(C) = 50 Mpc, to similar to 0.1 for lambda(C) = 500 kpc. In f(R) gravity this requires f(R0) <= few x 10(-8). The analogous bounds without screening are similar to few x 10(-4) and few x 10(-3). These are the tightest and among the only fifth-force constraints on galaxy scales. We show how our results may be strengthened with future survey data and identify the key features of an observational programme for furthering fifth-force tests beyond the Solar system.
|
|
| 7. |
- Dessauges-Zavadsky, Miroslava, et al.
(författare)
-
First constraints on the stellar mass function of star-forming clumps at the peak of cosmic star formation
- 2018
-
Ingår i: Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0035-8711 .- 1365-2966 .- 1745-3925 .- 1745-3933. ; 479:1, s. L118-L122
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Star-forming clumps dominate the rest-frame ultraviolet morphology of galaxies at the peak of cosmic star formation. If turbulence driven fragmentation is the mechanism responsible for their formation, we expect their stellar mass function to follow a power law of slope close to -2. We test this hypothesis performing the first analysis of the stellar mass function of clumps hosted in galaxies at z similar to 1-3.5. The clump sample is gathered from the literature with similar detection thresholds and stellar masses determined in a homogeneous way. To overcome the small number statistics per galaxy (each galaxy hosts up to a few tens of clumps only), we combine all high-redshift clumps. The resulting clump mass function follows a power law of slope similar to-1.7 and flattens at masses below 2 x 10(7) M-circle dot. By means of randomly sampled clump populations, drawn out of a power-law mass function of slope -2, we test the effect of combining small clump populations, detection limits of the surveys, and blending on the mass function. Our numerical exercise reproduces all the features observed in the real clump mass function confirming that it is consistent with a power law of slope similar or equal to-2. This result supports the high-redshift clump formation through fragmentation in a similar fashion as in local galaxies, but under different gas conditions.
|
|
| 8. |
- Feeney, Stephen M., et al.
(författare)
-
Cosmic microwave background science at commercial airline altitudes
- 2017
-
Ingår i: Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0035-8711 .- 1365-2966 .- 1745-3925 .- 1745-3933. ; 469:1, s. l6-L10
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Obtaining high-sensitivity measurements of degree-scale cosmic microwave background (CMB) polarization is the most direct path to detecting primordial gravitational waves. Robustly recovering any primordial signal from the dominant foreground emission will require high-fidelity observations at multiple frequencies, with excellent control of systematics. We explore the potential for a new platform for CMB observations, the Airlander 10 hybrid air vehicle, to perform this task. We show that the Airlander 10 platform, operating at commercial airline altitudes, is well suited to mapping frequencies above 220 GHz, which are critical for cleaning CMB maps of dust emission. Optimizing the distribution of detectors across frequencies, we forecast the ability of Airlander 10 to clean foregrounds of varying complexity as a function of altitude, demonstrating its complementarity with both existing (Planck) and ongoing (C-BASS) foreground observations. This novel platform could play a key role in defining our ultimate view of the polarized microwave sky.
|
|
| 9. |
- Galametz, M., et al.
(författare)
-
Water, methanol and dense gas tracers in the local ULIRG Arp 220: results from the new SEPIA Band 5 Science Verification campaign
- 2016
-
Ingår i: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0035-8711 .- 1365-2966 .- 1745-3925 .- 1745-3933. ; 462:1, s. L36-L40
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We present a line survey of the ultraluminous infrared galaxy Arp 220, taken with the newly installed SEPIA (Swedish-European Southern Observatory PI receiver for APEX) Band 5 instrument on APEX (Atacama Pathfinder Experiment). We illustrate the capacity of SEPIA to detect the 183.3 GHz H(2)O3(1,3)-2(2,0) line against the atmospheric H2O absorption feature. We confirm the previous detection of the HCN(2-1) line, and detect new transitions of standard dense gas tracers such as HNC(2-1), HCO+(2-1), CS(4-3), (CS)-S-34(4-3) and HC3N(20-19). We also detect HCN(2-1) v(2) = 1 and the 193.5 GHz methanol (4-3) group for the first time. The absence of time variations in the megamaser water line compared to previous observations seems to rule out an AGN nuclear origin for the line. It could, on the contrary, favour a thermal origin instead, but also possibly be a sign that the megamaser emission is associated with star-forming cores washed out in the beam. We finally discuss how the new transitions of HCN, HNC and HCO+ refine our knowledge of the interstellar medium physical conditions in Arp 220.
|
|
| 10. |
- Goobar, Ariel, et al.
(författare)
-
The cosmic transparency measured with Type Ia supernovae : implications for intergalactic dust
- 2018
-
Ingår i: Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0035-8711 .- 1365-2966 .- 1745-3925 .- 1745-3933. ; 477:1, s. l75-L79
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Observations of high-redshift Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) are used to study the cosmic transparency at optical wavelengths. Assuming a flat Lambda cold dark matter (Lambda CDM) cosmological model based on baryon acoustic oscillations and cosmic microwave background measurements, redshift dependent deviations of SN Ia distances are used to constrain mechanisms that would dim light. The analysis is based on the most recent Pantheon SN compilation, for which there is a 0.03 +/- 0.01 (stat) mag discrepancy in the distant supernova distance moduli relative to the Lambda CDM model anchored by supernovae at z < 0.05. While there are known systematic uncertainties that combined could explain the observed offset, here we entertain the possibility that the discrepancy may instead be explained by scattering of supernova light in the intergalactic medium (IGM). We focus on two effects: Compton scattering by free electrons and extinction by dust in the IGM. We find that if the discrepancy is entirely due to dimming by dust, the measurements can be modelled with a cosmic dust density Omega(dust)(IGM) = 8 x 10(-5)(1 + z)(-1), corresponding to an average attenuation of 2 x 10(-5) mag Mpc(-1) in V band. Forthcoming SN Ia studies may provide a definitive measurement of the IGM dust properties, while still providing an unbiased estimate of cosmological parameters by introducing additional parameters in the global fits to the observations.
|
|
